Patrol-box for watchmen&#39;s time-keys.



PATENTED APR. 7, 1908.

A. A. NEWMAN. PATROL BOX FOR WATGHMENS TIME KEYS.

AYPLIGATION FILED JAN. 9. 1907.

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sectionlatj'ight an 'les to the plane of Fig. 1, vented from fa UNITED srar as PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM A. NEWMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOiNEWMAN CLOCK COMPANY,

' OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PATROL-BOX FOR WATGHMENS TIME-KEYS.

No. 883,736. Specification of Letters Patent. Patented April 7, 1908.

\ Application filed January 9, 1907. Serial No. 351,463.

To all whom it may concern: showing the interior construction of the box, Belt known that I, ABRAHAM A. NEWMAN, and the time key inside the same. Fig. 3 is a cit1zen of the United States, residing at aperspective view,partly in section, showing Chicago, 1n the county of Cook and State of the box with its door or closure in open Illinois, have invented certain new and ositi n, useful Improvements in Patrol-Boxes for The box, indicated by 1, is preferably a iVatchmens T1me-Keys, of which the follOW-v single casting, and maybe of any suitable mg is a specification, reference being had to size and proportions haying top, bottom, and the drawing accompanying and forming part rear walls, and an open front portion. I of the same. The novel features embraced by my in- In a well-known system for recording vention reside chiefly in the interior conwatchmens time the watchman is provided struction of the box, and are designed to with a portable time-recording clock, which permit quick deposit of the key in practi he carries with him on his rounds. At one ally any position without liability of being or more points in his route are time-keys, jammed when the door is closed. For this permanently fastened to a wall or other obpurpose the box and its closure are conject, and adapted when inserted in the clock structed preferably as follows: and properly actuated to produce an identi- Extending inward from the rear Wall of the box is a shelf 2, of about half the depth of the fying imprint on the chronographic record card or sheet within the clock. As the differ box and extending from one side to the other of the same. The underside of the shelf ent key stations are visited by the watchman curves downwardly and rearwardly in an arc the keys are used as just described, and a complete time-record of the period during of a circle, from the edge of the shelf to the rear wall, as at 3. The door or closure 4 which the watchman is on duty is thus made,

is mounted loosely on a horizontal pivot rod so that the record card will show the times at which the key-stations were visited in the 5 extending across the box at the front of the same near the bottom, and is provided at its watchmans tour of duty.

In order to prevent unauthorized persons lower portion with a rearward extension or from meddling or tampering with the time shelf 6, preferably at such angle to the clokeys it is customary to provide locked recepsure as will make the said shelf or extension tacles or patrol boxes therefor, the key or lie substantially parallel with the bottom of keys for unlocking the boxes being carried by the box when the door or lid is closed. This the watchman, who, after using a time-key, extension or shelf 6 is of such depth, and the restores it to itsbox and locks the same. It curvature of the underside of the shelf 2 is so is to the improvement of these patrol boxes proportioned, that as the closure or lid 4 that my present invention is directed, and swings on its pivot the edge of the extension the chief object of the same it to provide a 6 will always be close to the said curved unbox of simple, strong construction, from derside. At the sides of the closure are segwhich the time-key may be readily removed mental or quadrant-shaped flan es, one of and in which it may be readily deposited which is shown at 7, the edges of which are without the exercise of special care, so as to formed on an arc concentric with the curvaminimize the time which the watchman must ture of the shelf 2. The flanges 7 are preferspend in merely making his time-record. ably extended upwardly on the closure by The nature of the invention, by which the narrower portions, as at 8. The closure, its aforesaid object is attained, will be more bottom extension and side flanges, are by readily understood from a description of the preference made of a single casting, as shown, preferred type of patrol-box constructed for the same purpose as in the case of the box, according to the invention, and for that namely, for the sake of cheapness of manupurpose reference may now be had to the \facture, durability and strength. Means is annexed drawing, in which such preferred also provided for limiting the opening movetype is illustrated. ment of the door or closure so that the latter In the drawings, Figure 1 shows the box will be held in such a position when open, closed, in front elevation. Fig. Zisavertical that a key deposited thereon will be rea ing ofl the same, and wil be carried into the box when the door is closed.

eflicient and simple manner of accomplishing the result stated consists in so pivotmg t e closure that a part thereof, such as the front lower edge 5, will abut the bottom of the box and arrest the opening movement of the door and hold the latter in an inclined position as shown in F ig. 3. It will be apparent that the inclined position of the door, when open, relative to the other parts serves to prevent the key from dropping therefrom en once'deposited thereon, and that the key will be carried into the box when the door is closed.

From the foregoing the advantages of the box will be readily seen. When the watchman has used the time-key, indicated by 9, he may toss it back'into the box, without regard to the position it may take therein. If the key lands on the shelf 2 it is, on reopening the box on the next round, instantly accessible. If the key lands on the closure shelf 6, as in Fig. 2, for example, it is, on reopening the door, presented in convenient position for removal. It will therefore be seen that in no case need any time be wasted in groping for the key, the latter being seen by the watchman the instant the door is opened or felt by him as soon as he puts his hand in the box, whatever position the key may occupy. At the same time, the parts between which there is any relative movement, as the flanges 7, 8, and the sides of the box, the shelf 2 and the extension 6, are always in such close approach to each other that the key cannot be caught between such parts, with consequent damage to the same or to the key, and cannot interfere with the quick opening and closing of the door.

To prevent access to the timekey by unauthorized ersons, the door is provided with a suitable ock 10, preferably of the type shown, in which a pair of bolts 11 engage at their inner side edges a lug 12 depending from the top of the box and are separated or spread apart by the key 13. The lock is preferably of the spring or self-locking type, so that merely slamming the door shut will lock it. 1

In order to insure that the door is always looked when closed, as well as to cause it to open instantly when unlocked, the door is constructed in such manner that its center of gravity is not behind or directly over the pivot on which the door turns, but in front of the latter. This is secured preferably by offsetting the upper part of the door forwardly, as at 14, Figs. 2 and 3, so that the weight of the metal in front of the pivot will overbalance the extension 6 and flanges 7 behind the The result is that hand, thus warning the watchman that the door was not properly closed and locked.

wall and Also, the door remains open while the time key is being used and does not require to be held open while the key is being returned.

The time-key is preferably connected to the box by a flexible connection, so as to permit the key to be used conveniently, but prevent it from bein carried away or lost. For this purpose the icy may be secured'to one end of a cord or chain 15, the other end of which passes through an opening 16 in a lug or boss 17 depending from the top of the box and terminates in a retaining knot or button 18 to prevent withdrawal of the cord, as will be readily understood. The back of the box is countersunk or recessed, as at 19, where the opening in the boss 17 terminates, to receive the retaining button 18, so that the box ma lie flat against the wall to which it is secure The box may be conveniently fixed in position by means of screws, not shown, assing through holes 20 in the rear wall of t 1e box.

It will of course be understood that the patrol-box herein specifically shown and described is merely the preferred form, and may be modified to a considerable extent without departure from the proper scope of my vent-ion as defmed by the appended claims.

WVhat I claim is:

1. In a patrol-box for a watch-mans time key, a body portion having a closed rear wall and an open front, a part projecting forwardly from said rear Wall to a point within the body portion, a closure for the front of the body portion pivoted adjacent the botlower front portion of the latter, and having a transverse shelf projecting within the box to a point closely adjacent said curved surface and arranged to traverse the same during the opening and closing movement of the closure.

3. In a patrol-box for a Watchmans time key, a box comprisin a to bottom, and rear walls cast integraI, and aving an open front, a part formed integral with the rear rojecting forwardly therefrom,

said art iaving a downwardly and rearif the lock-bolts j closely alpproachesand traverses said curved are not behind and engaging the stud 12 the I surface c door will drop open as soon as released by the l uring the opening and closing move- 4. Ina

key, a bottom and rear walls cast integral, and having an open front,

a part formed integral with the rear wall and rear walls, and having an open bottom and scribed, a box comprising top,

front, a shelf projecting forwardly therefrom, said part projecting forwardly from the rear wall and iaving a downwardly and rearwardly curved aving a downwardly and rearwardly curved under surface, a closure for the front of the box and pivoted at the lower front portion of the latter, said closure having a transersve shelf cast integral therewith and joined at its end ortions to said closure by flanges, said she f being arranged to closely approach and traverse said curved under surface during the opening and closing movements of the closure.

atrol-box for a watchmans time key, a box comprising top, bottom and rear walls, and having an open front, a part projecting forwardly from the rear wall and having a downwardly and rearwardly curved under face, a flexible key retainer within the box, and a closure for the front of the box pivoted at the lower front portion of the lat ter, said closure having a transverse shel which closely approaches and traverses said curved under face during the opening an closing movements of the closure.

6. In a receptacle of the character deunder face, a closure for the front of the box pivoted horizontally at the lower front portion of the latter, said closure having a trans verse shelf which closely approaches and traverses said curved surface during the opening and closing movements of the closure.

7. In a patrol-box for a watchmans time key, a box including a rear wall having a forwardly projecting part extending transversely thereof, and a closure horizontally pivoted at the front lower portion of said box, said closure having a transverse shelf projecting within the box to a point closely adjacent said projection, and means to limit the opening movement of the closure and maintain the latter in an inclined position when open.

ABRAHAM A. NEWMAN.

Witnesses:

O. L. MATTHEWS, D. O. LAUGHLIN. 

